1. Technical Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile machine, or a copier.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, image forming apparatuses including an inner sheet ejection unit disposed between an image reading unit to read an image of an original and an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet of paper, are known. The sheet of paper on which the image is formed is ejected onto the inner sheet ejection unit, which is enclosed by walls and is disposed inside the apparatus with one open side.
For example, conventional image forming apparatuses include an image forming unit disposed substantially in the middle of the apparatus body, and an image reading unit to read an image of the original above the image forming unit, with a predetermined space between the image reading unit and the image forming unit in which there is provided an inner sheet ejection unit having a sheet ejection tray onto which the sheet after image formation is ejected. This space-saving layout makes the apparatus more compact. In addition, the sheet ejected onto the sheet ejection tray of the inner sheet ejection unit can be removed from the open side manually.